Coupling for rotary pipes



H. E; COX. v COUPLING FOR ROTARY PIPES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20.1921.

' f g g Patent-ed 0011 m, 1922..

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HENRY 1E. COX, 0F BREE. CALIFORNIA.

I v con'rtrn'e ron noransz rrrias.

application filed. June 20, 19%. Serial Ito. t'ltwtt.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ERWIN Con, a citizen of the lfnited States, residing at Free, in the county of Urange and State of Calitornia, have invented new and useful improvements in Couplings for Rotary Pipes, of which the tollowing is a specification.

My invention relates generall to well drilling apparatus and more particularly to a coupling for the tubev or pipe sections that extend downwardly into the well and carry the drill or bit, the principal objects of my invention being to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing types of rotary pipe couplings, to provide a construction that is relatively simple, capable of being easily and cheaply produced and which is uick-acting in its coupling and uncoupling unctions.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a strong, durable and eflicient coupling tor rotary pipes and to construct the same so that when in use it will be clfit'ective in saving much of the time and labor that is ordinarily involved in connecting and disconnecting rotary pipes such as are utilized in connection with well drilling apparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement ot parts that will be hereinafter more tully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the center of a coupling of my improved.

construction and with the parts thereof disconnected.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken'through the center of the coupling and showing the parts thereof in assembled or connected position.

F lg. .3 is a vertical section similar to Fig.

5?, and showing the coupling nipple in vertical section.

Fig. at is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line t l of Fig. la

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken approri mately on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section talren on the line 6ti ot Fig. l.

lleterring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment oit my invention, l0--1O desigair out pipe or tube sections ot the type or inarily threaded upper portion of a ca employed in well drilling apparatus and which are adapted to be detachably connected by my improved coupling, and in order to receive the parts of said coupling, the end portions of these tube or pipe sections are externally threaded.

Secured to the threaded end of the upper pipe or tube section is the internally 11, the lower portion thereof being provided with an axially disposed threaded aperture 12, and seated therein is the enternally'threaded body portion of a tubular member or nipple 13 to the upper end of which is secured, in any suitable manner, a collar let.

I The length of nipple 13 is such that its lower portion projects a substantial distance below the underside oi cap 11, and formed integral with the lower end of said nipple is a substantially rectangular horizontally disposed body lti, through which is formed an opening that coincides with the opening through the nipple, and the end portions 17 of the body 16 project beyond the body of said nipple to form ears or lugs that are adapted to engage the cap that is positioned on the end of the adjacent pipe or tube section and the upp r faces of said lugs or cars are slightly rounded as designated by 18.

A cap 19 has its lower portion internally threaded in order. to receive the externally threaded upper end of the lower'one ot the/ pipe or tube sections 10, and formed through the upper portion of said cap 19 is a substantiallyrectangular opening 20, of such size as to permit the tree passage through ot the head or body 16 on the lower end of nipple 13.

Formed within the cap 19 and to the sides of the rectangular opening therethrough, are horizontally disposed notches or recesses 21, and one end ot each of said notches terminates in a vertically 'disposedshoulder Q2 that serves as a stop to limit the rotary movement at the head or block 16. and to position the same transversely with respect or at right angles to the opening 20. in the upper portion of the cap.

Formed in the body or" the cap 19. above the end portions of the recesses Q1. andirnmediately adjacent to the shoulders .22 at the ends thereof, are curved or-concaye seats 23 against which the curved or convex upper faces 18 ot the ears or lugs 17 are adapted to engage when the parts of the device are properly coupled.

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To unite a pair of tube or pipe sections that are equipped with myimproved coupling, the nipple 13 is screwed downwardly in cap 11 until the underside of collar 1% bears on the upper surface of the body of said cap. llhe projecting portion of the nipple and the head or body portion 16 thereon are now inserted through the rectangular opening 20 in the upper portion of cap 19, and one pipe section or the other is rotated approximately a quarter of a turn. with the result that an oppositely disposed pair of side faces of the ears or lugs 17 will be brought to bearagainst the shoulders 22 at the ends of therecesses 21, and, with the parts thus positioned, the head or block 16 is arranged substantially at right an les to the opening 20.

ne pipe section or the other is now rotated one or two complete turns, or until the underiace of cap 11 bears directly upon the upper face of cap 19,"and sucli action moves the nipple 13 a short distance upwardly through the cap if so that the convex or curved upper faces 18 of lugs or cars 17 will,engage the concave seats 23 formed at the ends of recesses 21, and, when the nipple has been thus screwed upwardly to its limit of movement, the parts of the coupling will be very rigidly connected, and a'strong and substantial connection between the adjacent pipe sections is accomplished.

Obviously a. reversal of the operations just described will position the parts so that they may be readily disconnected,

A pipe coupling of my improved construction is comparatively simple, may be easily and cheaply produced, provides a strong and substantial connection between the end portions of rotary pipes or tubes and particularly those utilized in connection with well drilling apparatus, and the use of the coupling efiects a material saving in the time and labor ordinarily involved in couplin or uncoupling pipe or tube sections. It wi l be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved pipe coupling may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which isset forth in the ap pended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pipe coupling comprising pipe engagin members, a nipple screw seated in one 0 said members, the outer end portion of said nipple being provided with lateral projections and the other pipe engaging member being provided/with recesses that areadapted to receive the projections on said nipple. a

2. In a pipe coupling, a pair of pipe engaging members, a nipple screw seated in one of said members, means for limiting the outward movement of said nipple through the member in which it is seated, lateral projections on the outer portion of the nipple, and the other pipe engaging member being provided with internally arranged recesses that are adapted to receive the lateral projections on said nipple.

3. In a pipe coupling, a pair of pipe engaging members, a nipple screw seated in one of said members, laterally projecting lugs on the outer portion of said nipple,

the other pipe engaging member being pro-' vided with an opening that is adapted to receive the projecting portion of the nipple, and said last mentioned pipe engaging meniber'and the projecting end portion of the nipple being provided with interengaging parts for limiting the rotary movement of a the nipple with respect to said last mentioned pipe engaging member and for retaining the parts in assembled relation.

A pipe coupling comprising a air of: pipe engaging members, one of wiich is provided with an opening and with internally arranged recesses to the sides of said opening, a nipple seated in and projecting from the other pipe engaging member, and

lugs projecting from the end of said nipple and engaging in said recesses when the parts of the coupling are properly assembled.

6. A pipe coupling comprising a pair oi pipe engaging members, one of which-is provided with an opening and with internally arranged recesses to the sides of said v opening, a nipple seated in and projecting from the other pipe engaging member, lugs projecting from the end ofusaid nipple and engaging in said recesses when the parts of the coupling are properly assembled, and there being shoulders formed at the ends of said recesses for limiting the rotary movement of the nipple with respect to the cap that is provided with the opening and recesses.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

H! E. COX. 

